Installing Sage kills my SPDIF digital output???

[IncredibleHat]

Ok, heres the situation... I cannot figure it out, but I have figured that when I install Sage (4 or 5), I lose my ability to hear digital encoded sound to my receiver through the spdif port.

The setup:
MSI board, onboard audio Realtek 8ch (Realtek HD Audio Driver v5.10.0.5247).
Output on spdif header to spdif bracket.
RCA cable from spdif bracket to receiver input.
Receiver set to decode digital signals.
Realtek HD Audio set to output digital signals on spdif.
NVDVD 'audio' set to 'connected to: receiver via spdif cable'.

Playing a DVD at this point works PERFECT. If its dts, the receiver displays dts and is playing it correctly. If its Dolby Digital 5.1, it displays that and plays right.

...

Now, as soon as I install SageTV, I lose that ability completely.

Now playing a DVD (in either NVDVD or even Sage) outputs only a PCM signal, and the receiver won't decode it (because its already decoded by the pc). I STILL have NVDVD setup to output digital via spdif (and it thinks it is, according to the onscreen displays), and the realtek HD audio panel still set to output digital via spdif port. Doesnt seem to matter???

Uninstalling SageTV fixes the problem.

I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS!

I must have both SageTV and NVDVD installed and working properly. I know NVDVD works flawlessly, because it does before I install Sage. Even if I gave up NVDVD and just used the DVD player in Sage... the DVD player in Sage doesn't output audio correctly either!

Please... anyone? Anyone know how or what is going on here? This is really wacky!!!

[Polypro]

AC3 Filter gets installed and may be screwing with things. Open WMP and go to DVD>Advanced and try setting AC3 Filter to "Prefer Other Decoder" on the last tab.

P

[IncredibleHat]

Well slap me silly and call me barky...

That actually worked.

Talk about your insanely roundabout and screwy method of setting a flag to make stuff work right. Gah!

I never use WMP, because I hate it's filthy steeenking guts... and thus never thought to look there for settings that may affect OTHER applications. Gads.

Thanks!

I noticed in that settings area, there were some checkboxes for "SPDIF Passthrough" of "AC3" "DTS" and one other. I wonder if those make it work too by still using AC3 Filter. *shrug* I don't care... I don't like AC3 Filter for that reason alone: it was pathetically placed to edit its settings! LOL.

Thanks again.

[Polypro]

Glad it worked. I pointed out the easy way to get to AC3 Filter Radlight Filter Manager is what a lot of people use. The normal procedure (until Sage adds an option *NOT* to use/install AC3 Filter) for a Sage install/upgrade when using the nVIDIA decoders is:

Install/Upgrade Sage
Open Radlight/WMP
Set AC3 Filter to "Prefer Other Decoder"

I've never used AC3 Filter, so I don't know it's settings too well. For passthrough with an external receiver, nVIDIA works fine. I think for actual AC3 *decoding*, the unobtanium versions of the nVIDIA decoder only do it for MCE/WMP, and that's why AC3 filter is included. I'd just get an X-Mystique card if I had to do that

P

[IncredibleHat]

Right....

I have nothing really to 'decode' first. Live TV comes with its own (crappy) audio, stereo sometimes, mostly mono. That just gets passed out the headphones port to the TV's built in speakers.

Then, anything digital, I do passthrough to the receiver. Let the receiver do all the work, its what it was made for! LOL.

Thanks for the info. I may check out Redlight, see what that does, if its any useful. But, it appears to be working fine, so I may not bother.

[mattsm]

Yep, I have the same issues with AC3Filter. Sage should really be more careful. It also packages a new non-released version which does not work on my computer.